Five Asiatic lions, which were captured by the forest department on August 18 near the Pipavav port on the Amreli sea coast, have been released from their territory in the western part of the Gir forest near a railway line and a highway connecting the port. Forest officials termed the exercise a “management issue” and said the big cats were at risk of accidents near the port.
The forest department had caged three lioness and two sub-adult lioness from Rajula Vidi near busy Pipavav port on August 18. Forest officials had initially said that the carnivores were caught to check for diseases. After being caught, the five lionesses were kept at the Jasdhar Rescue Center of Gir (East) Wildlife Division. However, BJP Amreli MP Naran Kachhadiya told the media on Wednesday that the rescued lions have been released.
while the phone calls Indian Express While Forest and Environment Minister Ganpawat Vasava did not receive a reply, forest officials on Thursday confirmed that the lions have indeed been released, but in separate areas. Junagadh Wildlife Circle Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Dushyant Vasavada said, “They were released in the Gir sanctuary part, which is part of Gir (West) but is adjacent to the Gir (East) border and we are monitoring them. are.” Indian Express on Thursday.
The CCF said on Thursday that while the five lionesses were found healthy during the screening, they have not been released in their home area due to the possibility of an accident. He said a lioness has been tagged with a radio-collar which indicated that Gaurav was crossing the railway line and the highway connecting the port frequently. “In February this year, a male lion was killed after being hit by a train in this area. In March, there was another death in the Pipawa port area. On Saturday, another lion got hit by the train… So, it is a management issue and hence, we shifted them to a safer place,” Vasavada said.
Pipavav is a busy port that handles containerized cargo. It is served by a four-lane highway as well as a private board gauge railway line.
Lions are territorial animals that mark their territories and protect them from other lions as well as other major carnivores. However, the CCF said that after the Taukata cyclone in June, more space has become available for the lions inside the Gir forest. “The cyclone has disturbed a lot of trees and hence there are more open areas in western Gir. After due consideration, we have released them at the border of East and West Gir, where there is space for them,” Vasavada said.
In a population estimation exercise conducted by the state forest department last year, the lion population was estimated at 674. As their population has been increasing, the number of lions near human settlements has increased in recent decades. In order to prevent accidents on the railway track, the forest department has cordoned off the more than 10 km long stretch of track from Pipava port to Rajula. However, the male lion, crushed by a goods train in Uchaiya village near the port, suddenly came on the track after jumping over the fence, say forest officials.
When asked whether more lions would be shifted from the port, the CCF said, “For now, it is a one-time exercise. But we do not want to sacrifice more lions in such accidents.”
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